


There Is Nobody (no one to outrun me)

by darklips_paleface



Series: Nygmobblepot Week 2019 [1]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: .....ish, Day 1, Implied Smut, M/M, Nygmobs week 2019, Rogues Gallery, ass fam takes nygmobs week, ed is a bottom, future!fic, if i wrote it, just assume eds the bottom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-12-07 00:40:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18227576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darklips_paleface/pseuds/darklips_paleface
Summary: It was no secret, now, what had happened between the Riddler and the Penguin all those years ago. For a moment, it was almost a sensation in the Gotham underground gossip ring. “Did you hear about the Riddler and the Penguin? He told him he loved him and he shot him for it!” “Remember when the Penguin put him in ice? It was his revenge for never loving him back!” “Ever notice how those two never work together? Word is they haven’t spoken since some bank robbery went south just before the bridges blew!” “I heard it’s because the bird still loves him- and Riddlers never going to love him back!” Some rumors, of course, were closer to the truth than others. But it was a fact that he and Ed hadn’t so much as seen one another in years. Until tonight, of course.





	There Is Nobody (no one to outrun me)

**Author's Note:**

> happy nygmobs week- day 1! this one goes out to my little ass family; dave, reese, louis, alyssa, kim, and jewel <3 sorry i suck at following prompts (like today was rogues gallery and,,,well) but OH WELL I TRIED!

     Barbara was, as per usual, trying to take control of Gotham’s underworld. It was certainly something Oswald could relate to. Had he never had control of it, he felt certain he would be fighting harder against her attempts to assert herself as the self-appointed ruler. As it was, though, Oswald was content with the way things currently stood. Everyone had their own factions, power in their own right, and with no definitive head of the underworld to chop off, it made the Bat’s job much harder. An equilibrium. It suited Oswald just fine, but Barbara was always restlessly trying claw her way to the throne, make herself head honcho. Fine, Oswald mused, if she wanted it she could have it- leading Gotham’s underground these days only meant a bigger target for the Bat to aim at, and he felt that wasn’t really worth the small boost in power one would get from being at the top. 

 

     However, credit where credit was due; Barbara had at least gotten more…  _ elegant  _ in her attempts. Rather than the constant threats and attacks she’d first leveled at Oswald and any other villains she felt threatened by in the early years, Barbara had learned that climbing to the top now involved less vinegar and more honey. Thus the invitation he was currently holding: 

 

_     You are cordially invited to attend a mandatory cocktail hour at The Sirens Club. Black tie dress, this Thursday at 8pm. Tardiness or refusal to attend will be punishable by death.  _

 

     And beneath the printed text, in the blocky scribbles Oswald recognized as Barbara's own handwriting, another message:

 

_     Can’t wait to see you there, Ozzie. It’s gonna be a night for the books! XOXO _

 

     There were a few things about the invite that solidified Oswald’s suspicion that this evening was Barbara’s latest attempt to charm her way to the top. First and most apparent; the blatant threat to his life. Anyone else who had received this invitation had to share their illicit line of work, thus; an evening of rubbing elbows with Gotham’s criminal elite. Superb.

 

     Second was Barbara’s personal touch. She was taunting him, because she still felt him to be a threat. She expected a retaliation of some sort, for him to come to the Sirens guns blazing. She expected a fight. 

 

     Well then, she would certainly be surprised when he refused to give her one. He would show up and keep his cool, a skill he’d only recently perfected, and allow her whatever crown she’d convinced herself still existed. So long as he left with his club and main factions still intact, he didn’t much care if Barbara was calling herself the queen of Gotham. And something about how utterly shocked she’d almost certainly be when he so readily complied gave him a bit of a thrill- Oswald loved nothing more than defying expectations. 

 

     “So, Thursday at 8, then?” He murmured aloud to the emptiness of his study, “it's a date!” 

——————————————————

 

     Just because he was determined to be civil and accommodating didn’t mean he couldn’t still be petty, so rather than the 8pm sharp arrival that was requested on the invite, Oswald chose to arrive at a cool 9:15. After all, arriving on time was disgracefully unfashionable. Apparently he was the only one who thought so, however, as mostly the ‘party’ seemed to be in full swing. He knew everyone in attendance- obviously, information was the most important currency in Gotham after all- but was surprised that some of them had even decided to attend. Ivy, Harley and Selina were permanent fixtures at the Sirens, so seeing them was unsurprising, however just to their left stood the ever attached duo of Jervis Tetch and Jonathan Crane. He wouldn’t have pegged the Scarecrow to be one who felt threatened by Barbara, however Oswald supposed Jervis did love a good soirée and most likely Jon just followed him here. Victor Fries was another one Oswald hadn’t expected, he was always trying to distance himself from Gotham’s criminals no matter how many crimes he continued to commit- but there he was, making idle small talk with Harvey Dent. The Joker wasn’t in attendance, however this being a Sirens, and, thus, Harley, hosted event, it made sense to Oswald that his name be excluded from the guest list. Besides, they’d all given up trying to get the Joker to play by any rules years ago- it was always going to be a moot point. There was only one other person Oswald hadn’t spotted yet- and he breathed a sigh of relief for that. Small blessings, he supposed.

 

     “Ozzie!” Barbara shouted, crossing the floor to meet him halfway, “so glad you  _ finally  _ joined us!” There was a thinly veiled threat in her eyes. 

 

     Good, he’d annoyed her with his lateness.

 

     “Barbara, always a pleasure. You know me, I can’t say ‘no’ to a good party. Though I am  _ terribly  _ sorry for my tardiness. I’m afraid I was a bit tied up- but of course, you know how it is, being a successful club owner and what not.” He made sure to give her his most predatory smile, a shark in the water. Just because he was letting her win this battle didn’t mean he’d given up entirely on the war. 

 

     “Yes, well, all’s forgiven. I’m just glad we can get to the main event now that everyone is here! Which reminds me, I believe there’s someone here you’ve yet to get reacquainted with!”

 

     And that was unsettlingly, the way she said those words. Almost as if she’d just decided to play her final trump card, one she knew Oswald wouldn’t be expecting.

 

     “Ah, I’m sure there is, but you mentioned a main event? Perhaps this little ‘reunion’ you have planned can wait until after you’ve disclosed why you really brought us all here.” Oswald tried to seem agitated, maybe if she only saw his annoyance at the whole event she’d miss the slight bout of nerves that was suddenly hitting him.

 

     “Well where’s the fun in that, old bird?” And with a smile she looked just past him and began violently gesturing for someone’s attention, “Hey green bean! Come say hi, for old times sake, huh?” Oswald flinched back at her sudden shouting, and immediately felt his stomach drop.

 

     So, he  _ was  _ here. Oswald should have expected as much. 

 

     If Barbara really thought he was her biggest threat, she’d use whatever tricks she could to get him off his game and make persuading him to hand whatever power she was after over to her. And, really, he should’ve been expected this to be her big reveal.

 

     It was no secret, now, what had happened between the Riddler and the Penguin all those years ago. For a moment, it was almost a sensation in the Gotham underground gossip ring. “Did you hear about the Riddler and the Penguin? He told him he loved him and he shot him for it!” “Remember when the Penguin put him in ice? It was his revenge for never loving him back!” “Ever notice how those two never work together? Word is they haven’t spoken since some bank robbery went south just before the bridges blew!” “I heard it’s because the bird still loves him- and Riddlers never going to love him back!” Some rumors, of course, were closer to the truth than others. But it was a fact that he and Ed hadn’t so much as seen one another in years. The last he’d seen Ed was lying dead in a warehouse in the Narrows. He’d brought him to Strange, saved his life, and woken up to find Ed had escaped without so much as a goodbye.. 

 

     But that was ancient history, and Oswald had had years to harden his heart again. He had hoped, that night, that Ed would awaken and they could start anew. No more animosity, just understanding. He would forgive Ed his betrayal and they could be friends- just, painfully, friends- like the old days when he was in office. He would’ve done that for Ed, lived his life miserably at his side, always doomed to love a man who could never love him back. (Some days Oswald felt glad that wasn’t how things ended up. At least he could tell himself he hated Ed now, that he hadn’t forgiven him and truly had learned to harden his heart to him. It was easier to tell yourself a lie if the person in question was nowhere to prove you wrong.)

 

     Regardless, The bridges had blown and he’d found other things to worry about, namely the new vigilante calling himself ‘Bat’, and with a city divided it was incredibly easy to avoid certain parts of the Narrows where men in green suits and purple masks were often spotted. For years they kept their distance, and though he thought we was doing an admirable job of covering up his forced distance from all things Riddler, apparently he hadn’t covered well enough for Barbara. And now she was exploiting the only weakness he’d ever shown. Lovely. 

 

     “Ed, baby, thanks again for showing up! I know you usually hate these kinds of things, but you’re doing me a  _ huge  _ favor just being here!” Though this was directed at Edward, Barbara maintained steady eye contact with Oswald. Edward approached cautiously, and settled somewhere just beyond Oswald’s left shoulder.

 

     “Well, Barbara,” and, fuck, but that really was his voice. Oswald almost wouldn’t have recognized it, it’d been so long, if it wasn’t for the fact that he still couldn’t go to sleep at night without  _ “I don’t love you”  _ echoing in his brain for hours on repeat. “You did pay me quite a hefty sum to be here. Plus, favors in Gotham tend to be priceless” 

 

     Damn, Oswald  _ loved _ that about Ed! He’d never miss an opportunity to let you know that, even when you thought you’d won, he still found a way to outsmart you. And he was right, of course. If Barbara had gotten him here on the promise of a favor owed- well, Ed had truly beaten her at her own game. 

 

     Not that he cared much. From what Oswald could tell of the Riddler’s criminal activity it wasn’t power he was after- but fame. Notoriety. He wanted everyone to see just how smart he was. Ruling a city was boring compared to besting the Bat in Ed’s eyes. 

 

     “Anyways, wish I could stay and catch up, maybe talk about those good old days when we were all trying to kill each other?” With that, Barbara’s eyes snapped from Oswald’s to Eds in mere seconds, and he assumed her satisfied smirk was due to his slight flinch at the blatant mention of the day Ed shot him, “but I really should get back to hosting. Much to discuss with the others- tata, boys! Have fun reuniting!” And she was gone, a victor leaving proudly into her crowd of awaiting fans. No one else seemed to catch their conversation or Barbara’s victorious departure, as the party around them continued on just as before, but still Oswald felt the weight of the world’s collective judgement of him for being so easily taken down.

 

     He closed his eyes, and steadied his rapidly beating heart with one long breath, before slowly turning to his left.  

 

     There he was. He was in a garish green suit, with tacky purple question marks scattered across the fabric in one of the single ugliest patterns Oswald had ever seen on a garment in his life. He wore a ridiculous purple domino mark, it had become something of a trademark of his over the years, and that terrible bowler hat that never really did fit his head correctly. Finally, there was that stupid cane. It was gold, and shaped in his signature question mark, and undoubtedly the least practical and most horrendous part of Edward’s entire ensemble. The man looked absolutely terrible, like a cartoon caricature of a villain, and yet Oswald’s heart leapt out of his chest at the sight of him. He was utterly, incredibly perfect. 

 

     “Edward,” God, it was embarrassing how hoarse he sounded. He’d given himself away already, damnit! Surely whatever fight was to follow between them he was already doomed to lose, “it has been quite a while. You look… well.” He tried to convey some distaste, hopefully enough to distract Ed from realizing just how absolutely pathetically in love with him Oswald still was.

 

     “Thank you, Oswald. Sorry that we can’t all be as elegantly fashionable as you.” And- was that a smirk? Was Edward  _ mocking _ him?!

 

     “Well, at least l  _ attempted  _ civility. Goodbye, Edward, let's do this again in, oh, another decade perhaps? It’s been lovely-“ but before he could properly storm off, Edward had grabbed his arm and hauled Oswald back to face him.

 

     “Oswald, please! I wasn’t being facetious, truly; you look marvelous tonight. As always. I’m being sincere.” And he was, damn it. It shone clearly in his eyes. For some reason, he was actually paying Oswald a compliment. 

 

     “O-oh. Well. Thank you, I guess.” 

 

     The silence that followed was awkward and stilted, luckily Ed thought of something to say to break it before too long. 

 

     “I suppose some long overdue thanks are in order. When I first woke up, all those years ago, I had no idea how or why I was still alive. I didn’t find out it was- well, that you- by the time I realized, it felt like the time to thank you properly without seeming rude had passed. So, belated as it is; Thank you, Oswald,” and at that, Oswald met Edwards eyes, “for saving my life.” 

 

     He felt a blush rise to his cheeks, one he frustratingly could not seem to suppress, and simply nodded in response lest he do something foolish like begin to cry. 

 

     “Anyways, you seem to be doing well for yourself. The Iceberg is by far Gothams hottest club,” and he shared a smile so mischievous and secretive with him that Oswald couldn’t help but fall just a bit more in love with Ed in that moment, “regardless of what Barbara seems to think. And the place is magnificent, but what else could be expected? It is  _ your  _ club after all.” 

 

     Something about that irked Oswald, it was dripping with the same smugness that Oswald had previously mistaken for mocking. What, other than some form of sarcastic taunt, could Ed mean with his bawdy praise? 

 

     “Wait- you’ve been inside my club? That can’t be true, I’m there every night and I haven’t seen you once!”

 

     Ed smiled at this, “you know, Oswald, sometimes the best part of wearing such loud clothing is that no one ever expects to see you in anything else. It is impossibly easy for me to hide in crowds wearing ordinary clothes, because no one looks for my face, they look for my suit.” 

 

     Oswald couldn’t help but return the smile, “You truly are one of Gotham’s greatest minds, aren’t you, Ed? I have to admit, much as I hate your fashion sense, I can now admire the cleverness of it.” 

 

     Ed seemed flustered at that, radiating such pure pride at the praise. Some things never changed, Oswald supposed. Ed was permanently looking for the approval of others, and got off on any and all praise- especially regarding his intelligence. 

 

     “Th-thank you, Oswald.” There was a peaceful moment where the two were able to just stand there, together, without needing to fill the silence between them with words. It was nice. Comfortable. 

 

     And then Barbara’s voice shattered it, booming out at them from the speaker to their left. It seemed she had made her way to the stage, a microphone and podium already in place. Barbara Kean was ever the politician. 

 

     “Good evening ladies, gentlemen, and others! I’m sure you’re all wondering what this little impromptu party is about. Well, let me clarify: the one thing we all have in common, the piss in our cereal and pebble in our shoe, is that goddamn Bat.” This inspired a small chuckle from some of the more colorful guests in the room, and a few whistles and scattered applause from others. For their part, Oswald and Ed remained silent, listening. “He’s been an issue for all of us and I think it’s high time we fix that. Now, we’ve all tried on our own, but that hasn’t done much good, has it? My plan is simple. We need to unite for one reason only: put an end to that damn Batman.” There was a grumble of disapproval, which Oswald could have predicted. Half the guests, himself included, had spent just as much time trying to kill each other as they had the Bat. Holding hands and joining forces was not a prospect any of them were interested in. “Look, I know what you’re all thinking- I’m not saying we make peace. The wars, the feuds, battles for land and money between us; I’m not proposing to get rid of any of that. Where’s the fun in being bad if we can’t fight whoever, wherever,  _ whenever _ , for whatever reason we chose?” And she smiled so wide Oswald had to laugh; Barbara was charming but there was no way she would be able to charm this group into agreeing to play nice under her rule in order to take out the Bat, who was simply an annoyance at best. “All I’m proposing is this; a few meetings, every so often, to share intel on the Bat. Hosted, of course, by moi.” 

 

     “But why the generous offer? Why host?” Ed shouted, startling Oswald. 

 

     “Well, I should think that’s obvious.” Barbara replied, not missing a beat. At least she was prepared, Oswald gave her credit for that much, “I’m gonna be something of the leader to this- this gallery of rogues.” 

 

     Hm. A gallery of rogues. The Rogues Gallery. Oswald had to admit- it had a catchy ring to it. And nothing won people over so fast as fancy word play and snazzy titles.

 

     There was a mix of reactions; some rogues already loudly opposing, the women of the Sirens who were whooping and hollering in approval of the woman they already saw as their leader, and of course there was Edward, who was simply chucking at Oswald’s side. 

 

     “Rogues Gallery.” He whispered, like a secret just for the two of them, “now that  _ does  _ sound like something, doesn’t it, Os?”

 

     Barbara had begun talking at the mic again, trying her best to put out fires as questions were rapidly being shot at her. She was keeping her cool, and passingly Oswald thought  _ ‘I suppose she really does deserve to rule them, if that’s what she wants. Well, good; she can have them. Too temperamental for my uses anyways’.  _ But that was quickly overshadowed by the heat creeping up his spine at the absolutely  _ devilish  _ look Edward was sending him, as well as the startling proximity of Edward as he leaned down to whisper in Oswald’s ear again. 

 

     “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in, say, cutting out of here early with me, would you, Oswald?” 

 

     And god but there wasn’t really anything Edward could ask of him that he wouldn’t immediately do for him, so rather than reply he grabbed Ed by the wrist and, covertly as he could, dragged him out through the first exit he could find. 

——————————————————-

     Once they’d made their way to the streets of Gotham, it became readily apparent that neither of them had any real plan in mind other than “leave fast” and “leave together”. Oswald offered to call his car, have Ed dropped off god knows where and go back, alone, to the club. But Ed seemed particularly turned off to that idea, and practically begged Oswald to “just take a walk with me, please. It’s not like either of us have any pressing plans for the rest of the night, do we?” 

 

     And the way he asked that, asked about any  _ other _ plans Oswald could possibly have, was something so calculated and close to jealous, Oswald could think of no other response but to chuckle and roll his eyes affectionately. 

 

     Which was how they ended up walking nearly a mile together, aimlessly, in silence. It wasn’t nearly as comfortable as their shared silence back at the club, Oswald still knew Ed well enough to know when he was absolutely  _ itching  _ to ask someone a question, but he didn’t want to pressure him. Whatever Ed had to say, he had to work up to it on his own. Oswald certainly didn’t mind waiting him out if it meant more time spent in his company in peace. 

 

     “Oswald,” Ah, and there went the peace. Oswald figured he’d better brace himself for the inevitable anger or violence or  _ whatever  _ Ed had been harboring in the years they’d been apart. Still, he spared a thought to mourn the few good moments they shared before the storm broke, “there’s so much I feel like I need to say to you. So much I’ve thought thought about telling you, but that’s beside the point, I suppose only one thing is truly important, so here goes,” Ed stopped abruptly, and Oswald almost left him behind as he continued to walk. However, upon missing the absence of the warmth at his side- and it only just now occured to Oswald how  _ close  _ they’d been as they strolled- he stopped and faced a truly magnificent sight.

 

     Ed stool there, all 6 foot-something of him, with his eyes screwed shut and his fists nervously clenching at his sides. He took a few long and deep breathes, and with a giggle Oswald realized Ed was quite  _ nervous  _ about something.

 

     “Oswald, please, this isn’t funny”

 

     “No, Edward, I suppose it’s not- only you’re a notoriously villainous middle aged man standing in the middle of a dark alley with a cripple and looking  _ nervous  _ for some reason- and it’s really impossible for me to not find you endearing right now.”

 

     As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Oswald regretted them. Edward’s posture relaxed in his shock, beautiful mouth agape and bright eyes surprised. 

 

     “I’m sorry, Ed, I take that back, I only meant-“

 

     “No, I- well, I just figured when you didn’t look for me- anyways, that’s not the point, shouldn’t matter,  _ doesn’t  _ matter-” it was times like these that Oswald remembered Ed’s other half, the Riddler persona, as he often seemed to be having half conversations with himself in bits and pieces, “Oswald, I need to apologize to you.”

 

     “I’m sorry- what?!”

 

     “I know, it’s terribly overdue, and I can’t blame you if you choose not to accept. I should just feel lucky that you’ve spared me these past years when you deserved revenge, and though I must be testing that patience; I really wanted to you to know just how sorry I truly am.” 

 

     “Edward, what are you talking about? You’re  _ sorry _ ?! You need to apologize to  _ me?!  _ The man you despise?! Your sworn enemy?! I swear, Nygma, if this is some trick...”

 

     “Trick?! Wha- enemy?! Who said anything about a- why would I hate you, Oswald? You saved my life!”

 

     “I also killed your girlfriend!” And he hadn’t meant to shout that, as the silence that followed was deafening in comparison.

 

     Ed looked a bit taken aback, though hard as he looked Oswald couldn’t seem to find any old pain or anger flash in his eyes. Just confusion, mostly. 

 

     “Yes, well…  _ that.  _ In fairness, looking back, I’d say that score was settled around the time I desecrated your father's remains,” Ed flinches at that, “again, terribly sorry, that was really in poor taste and he hardly deserved to be dragged into our squabble. Regardless, you paid for her death with your life, and when you came back, though I acted like a child, I felt secretly relieved. I really did miss you when I thought you were gone, you know.”

 

     He didn’t know. All of this was news to him, and Oswald was having trouble making sense of most of what Ed was saying. “I forgave you for all of that before you shot me Edward, you know that. And after… Well we were both being children. I didn’t need to put you on ice, but I did.”

 

     “You spared my life. You should’ve killed me on those docks.”

 

     “Yes, well, I didn’t.”

 

     “And you should’ve left my corpse in the narrows to rot. I’d betrayed you after all, you owed me nothing. But you saved me.”

 

     “Yes, I did.” And now Oswald was starting to feel uncomfortable. It felt like Edward was dancing slowly closer to a truth Oswald had been trying to keep from himself for years. Something he never really expected he’d be able to rid himself of, but at the very least had tried to bury beneath years of anger and faux hatred.

 

     “You’ve done so much for me, Os, how can I ever repay you?” Well that certainly hadn’t been what Oswald was expecting, even less was the way Ed was sauntering towards him now. His eyes were cloudy with something that a stupider man might call lust (but Oswald knew better), and once he was within reach his hands were clasping Oswald’s lapel and dragging him slowly closer to the inviting heat of Edward’s chest. 

 

     “E-Edward, I’m not sure what this game is that you’re playing, but-" he tried to push himself away, placing his hands on the solid chest in front of him, but Ed only gripped him tighter, refusing to let him go.

 

     “No game, Ozzie,” and Ed gave him his sweetest pout, accompanied by a coquettish batting of his eyelashes, “I just want to repay you for all that you’ve done for me. After all, what kind of friend would I be if I never  _ leant you a hand?”  _ The last part Ed whispered huskily in his ear, and punctuated his words by slowly trailing one hand from its place on Oswald’s arm down his chest before suggestively swiping the tips of fingers over his crotch. Oswald sucked in a breath at the contact, and sharply pushed him away.

 

     “ _ Christ,  _ Edward, stop it!” He couldn’t fight the hurt that bled into his tone, nor could he stop the prickle of tears in his eyes. He was an idiot, letting himself believe Ed was sorry just to have his feelings openly mocked  _ again _ .  _ When will you ever learn, Oswald, you idiot. All he’s ever going to bring you is pain.  _

 

     “Oswald, please, I’m sorry! I just thought-“ he made a low grumble deep in his throat, before continuing, “I assumed incorrectly. You’ve made it clear, years of never looking for me, and I should’ve known that but I wanted to see- well that doesn’t matter. Please, Oswald, forget all that. I truly want nothing more than your forgiveness and, if it’s not too much to ask, your friendship.” 

 

     God, he was getting emotional whiplash being around this man again! “Edward, what is the meaning of all this? You fool me with apologies and amends and then  _ mock  _ me for my weakness? What do you mean ‘never looking for me’? I’m lost, here, Ed,” at that, at least, Edward looked somewhat contrite, “one moment we seem to be finally repairing our friendship, and the next I feel as though you’re toying with me to hurt me again.” 

 

     “No, Os, I would  _ never-“  _

 

_      “ _ But you have, Ed. You already did. So let’s be as clear as possible here, alright?” And Ed nodded solemnly at that, “First; what do you mean I never looked for you?”

 

     “Well, after you had Strange save me, when you found me in the Narrows, I woke up scared and confused, not knowing who was responsible for bringing me back to life. So I ran. It took me a bit to piece together that it was  _ you  _ who’d saved me, and once I had, I immediately wanted to thank you. Except-“ Ed pauses here, looking sheepishly at Oswald, “except you never came looking for me. I thought, initially, maybe you saving my life meant that you had forgiven me, that you wanted us to work together again. But you never tried to find me. Weeks went by, then months, then years, and I never heard from you again. I guess I just figured, that was it. Whatever reason you had for bringing me back, it couldn’t be good if you didn’t try to find me. I waited for some vengeance to be enacted, maybe you wanted me alive so you could kill me yourself, but I didn’t get that either. So, eventually, I tried finding you myself. I even snuck into your club a few times and,” Ed sighed, struggling to maintain his composure, “you never even noticed I was there, Os. I realized then that maybe the only thing worse than you hating me, plotting your revenge on me, was the possibility that you’d simply… forgotten me.”

 

     It took almost a full minute for Oswald to process all of this new information, and once he had, the only possible response was to roll his eyes and spit through clenched teeth, “Edward, you absolute dumbass.” He hated how fond it sounded, but when it came to Ed he figured anything less than loving exasperation would be impossible. 

 

     Ed looked surprised, and after everything he’d just said, Oswald figured that was to be expected. He steadied himself, knowing what he was going to say next would make him entirely vulnerable in the event that this was all, somehow, a ruse. However, he did once say Ed was the only person he trusted in Gotham, and it seemed that much was still true. He would simply have to trust that Ed was being honest, and give him the same honesty in return.

 

     “I never stopped loving you, Edward,” there was an almost-gasp at that, But he persisted, “not during the  _ years  _ after I’d saved your life when you avoided me, not when you betrayed me for Lee in that bank, not when you spent months trying to kill me, again,”  he chuckled a bit, and it felt nice to finally find the humor in that, “not when you drove me to insanity or sabotaged my seat in office, not when you helped Barbara take away my empire, nor when you disrespected my father's remains. Not even when you told me you didn’t love me, shot me, and left me to drown.” And he could see in Ed’s eyes the sorrow and regret that memory evoked, and finally Oswald believed Edward truly did feel some remorse for that. “There hasn’t been a single day since the moment you saved my life at the Sirens, when we were mayor and chief of staff, that I haven’t loved you with every fiber of my being, Edward. There have even plenty of days I’ve wanted you dead since then, of course, but none that I could actually pull the trigger. Well, you know that. I only froze you at the docks after all. But in all that time, with all that animosity between us, never once did I stop loving you. And you have the audacity to accuse me of forgetting you?! Surely, Ed, you must know; you are impossible to forget.” 

 

     “Oswald, I- I don’t know what to-“

 

     “Don’t, Ed. I know. It’s alright, let’s just say all is forgiven and move on, shall we? Clearly we’ve misunderstood each other. I can see now that you’re sorry, as am I, and were only intending to make it up to me,” and dammit but he couldn’t stop the blush that crept up his cheeks at memory of Edward  _ touching  _ him, “but rest assured, you needn’t do that. We have both wronged each other, I think we’re more than even. Let’s move forward, shall we?” And he extended his hand for a shake to reiterate his offer of goodwill, “Friends?”

 

     “No, Oswald; I’m sorry but I can’t do that.”

 

     Suddenly, it was like no time at all had passed. He was on the docks again, falling into the depths of darkness before Ed ever even pulled the trigger.  _ I don’t love you.  _ Heart sinking, gasping for air,  _ praying  _ it was all some twisted nightmare-

 

     “I can’t just go back to being friends with you. I want more.”

 

     “What?”

 

     The smile Ed awarded him was absolute, unadulterated sin. “I know it’s selfish of me, but I can’t just have that part of you anymore Oswald. I can’t go back to secret pining and stolen glances and  _ friendship.  _ I want all of it, all of you, Oswald. I won’t settle for less.”

 

     Gone was the nervous facsimile of the Edward he’d first met, the one who looked at him with bright eyes like he’d hung the moon, who had just now struggled through an excessively unnecessary apology. This was the suave confidence of the Riddler, Eds once-alter who Oswald had only ever seen in flashes. And he was doing absolutely nothing to help quell the growing heat in Oswald’s stomach.

 

     Ed was suddenly close again- so,  _ so  _ maddeningly close- and pressing Oswald up against a nearby brick wall. There was a hint of fear, predator and prey, that accompanied the way Edward trapped him, hands splayed on either side of Oswald’s shoulders against the brick wall ensuring he couldn’t escape. He was, after all, the Riddler- and while that name remained ridiculous, his body count was nothing to laugh about. 

 

     But there was something else, too- and Oswald startled when he realized this display of dominance was  _ arousing  _ him. Well, that wouldn’t do. Oswald refused to be out-done.

 

     “Do you really think you can handle that, Edward?  _ All  _ of me?” He raised his eyebrow suggestively, and grinned at the momentary slip in Ed’s cocky demeanor that caused.  _ Good,  _ Oswald thought,  _ he’s just as effected by me as I am by him.  _

 

     “I guess there’s really only one way to find out, isn’t there, Oswald?” 

 

     He merely raised his eyebrow again, this time less a taunt and more a silent question, as he raised his arms to drape around Edwards neck. 

 

     Ed leaned in close, clearly attempting another overly dramatic whisper into his ear, “I want you to  _ give it to me”  _

 

     Oswald wished he could say he laughed at that, Ed sounded horribly corny and like an actor straight from a cheap X-rated movie, but this  _ was,  _ after all, Edward. The only man he’d ever truly loved. And he couldn’t lie; that phrase, in the current context, from those lips was  _ infuriatingly  _ erotic. 

 

     “Edward, I’m going to need you to take a step back. Then, I’m going to call my driver. He’s going to take us directly to my penthouse, and once we get there I’m going to strip you bare and give you  _ exactly  _ what you desire. Now, be a dear and allow me some room to locate my phone, alright?” 

 

     Eds only response was an exaggerated gulp. But, he’d always been fantastic at following orders.

—————————————————

     Hours later found the pair sprawled across Oswald’s king sized bed- entirely nude. Ed’s head resting on Oswald’s stomach, Oswald’s fingers carding lazily through his hair. It’d gone curly with sweat, and Oswald was secretly pleased- he’d always preferred Edwards natural curls.

 

     “I didn’t say it before, but I assume you can tell, now, can’t you, Os?”

 

     “Not sure that I can, Eddie. What is it that you’re alluding to, exactly?” He was mostly teasing- he did know, after all. Ed seemed much better at showing than telling and the past few hours of, well,  _reconnecting_ had made Edward's devotion particularly apparent - but a part of him needed to hear it aloud, just once. 

 

     “Unfortunate as it’s been for me, something of a thorn in my side really, I am desperately in love with you, as well, Ozzie.” 

 

     “Hm. ‘Desperately in love’. I like the sound of that.” 

 

     “Good,” Ed lifted his head a bit to face him and beam down at him, “because I don’t think I’m ever going to grow tired of saying it.” 

 

     Oswald couldn’t help but pull Ed down for a kiss at that. A kiss, which quickly grew into something more needy and passionate. Just before he lost any track of any thought beyond _  Ed, take, mine, need,  _ Oswald spared a passing thought for Barbara and the newly dubbed ‘Rogues Gallery’.

 

     Walking with a friend in the darkness, indeed. 

**Author's Note:**

> title is from LOVE by Kendrick Lamar as i forgot to title most of the fics for this week so i just put my nygmobs playlist on shuffle and grabbed a lyric from whatever song it gave me SHWOOPSIES


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